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THE STORY of 
WASHINGTON 



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The Story of Washington 




A Reverie 

O M E day, perhaps, you will journey to 
Mount Vernon, George Washington's country 
home. You will find many people there, all visitors 
ike yourself. Probably you will follow them through 
the wide doors of the banquet room, down the long 
porch to the reception hall, and over its polished stairs 
to the floor above. You will surely be interested in the 
quaint draperies and curiously carved furniture of the 
different rooms. After this you will be wise to rest awhile in one ot 
the many chairs scattered over the broad veranda. 

By and by the others of your company disappear. You see only the 
soft green of the lawn against a background of majestic trees with the 

5 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 

historic Potomac shining at their feet. It is pleasant sitting there, hut you 
are not long permitted to enjoy it alone; for, presently, you hear the sharp 
ring of hoofs upon the gravelled path, and a magnificent white horse ciashes 
up to the door and stands, with arching neck, for his rider to dismount. 
Then a very splendid gentleman, hooted and spurred, wearing a blue coat 
with brilliant epaulets, buff colored small-clothes, and a three-cornered hat 
with a black cockade, walks slowly up the stairs and enters the doorway 
at your right. And the name of this fine gentleman ? Why, what else 
could it be but that of our hero, George Washington himselt, — a stately 
figure, called from the shadowy past to live once more in the present by 
the mysterious charm of the place and the power of your own tree fancy. 
The picture is so real that you linger for a time to gaze at the open 
door through which the vision vanished. But it does not come again, so 
you turn away to wander at will over the plantation ; and as you walk 
under the shadow of the trees, and look down upon the river that 
Washington loved, there may come back to you, dimly, like a halt- 
forgotten dream, some little memory of this story ot his life. 






THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




A magnificent u-hitt- horse dashes up to the door and stands, u-ith arihiiig neck, 
for hii rider to dismount''^ 



THE STORY OF WASHING ION 



F?'om Child to Colofiel 

WE must not think of Mount Vernon as the scene of our hero's 
childhood, for his father's estate lay some distance down the river. 
The Twenty-second ot February was not kept then with all the noise and 
tun with which we now celebrate it. Yet it was a day of rejoicing in the 
old Virginia farm-house, for then, in the year seventeen hundred thirty-two, 
a little boy, the "^Vashmgton of our story, was born. 

While he was still a baby, his fither moved to another plantation 
near Fredericksburg. 1 he new home overlooked the Rappahannock, about 
which Washington played as a child. We can imagine how eagerly, with 
the other boys of his age, he watched the English ships creep up the 
river after their cargoes of tobacco. There were no regular mails in those 
days, and one heard but seldom from the outside world. The arrival ot 
the ships was a great event, for they brought with them wondertul tales 
e)t cities and men. 

Each plantation was a little village in itself, with the planter's house 
for a center. Beyond were the negro cabins and vast fields of tobacco. 

In the midst of life like this Washington grew into sturdy boyhood. 
He was a handsome youth, tall and straight, and so easily the ec|ual ot 
his playmates that he soon became a leader in their outdoor sports. 
He entered heartily into every youthful amusement, but the years allowed 
him for play were few. For at the age when boys are now busy with 

8 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 







football ami tennis, this hid ot 
fifteen was hard at work. He 
was sent hy his friend, Lord 
l''airfax, to survey a large traCt 
of land lying along the Shenan- 
doah valley. It was rough work 
fir a beginner, for the country 
was then a wilderness. But the 
life hael an amusing side, as we 
learn from the diary which 
Washington kept at that time. 
" March 2jd. Rained till about 1 o'clock and then cleared up, when 
we were greatly surprised at the sight of more than thirty Indians coming 
from war with only one scalji. We had some liquor with us, of which 
we ga\-e them a part. This, elevating their spirits, put them in the humor 
of dancing. We then had a war dance. After clearing a large space 
and making a great fire in the middle, the men seated themselves around 
it and the speaker made a grand speech, telling them in what manner 
they were to dance. After he had finished, the best tlancer jumped up, 
as one awaked from sleep, and ran and jumped about the ring in a most 
comical manner. lie was followed by the rest. Then began their music 
which was performed with a pot half full of water and a deer skin 
stretched tiyht o\'er it, and a gourd with some shot in it to rattle, and 
a piece of horse's tail tied to it to make it look fine. One pers(Mi kept 
rattling and another drumming all the while they were dancing. " 



l^HE STORY OF WASHINGTON 

What boy of to-day would not be glad to leave his play for so 
exciting an adventure ! 

These few lines from his own pen bring us very near the youth of 
Washington. We catch a glimpse of the boyish spirit, which found 
something to enjoy even in the midst of hardship. Nor was the work 
negledied. On the contrary, it was so well done that, on his return, he 
was chosen county surveyor. Many of the surveys of his boyhood are 
still in use, because even now no better ones can be made. 

We may go to our histories to learn of the French and Indian War, 
in which Washington began to be a soldier. A story so brief as this can 
give onh' a huit here and there of important events. 

We come now to a time in our hero's lite that is far removed from 
war and Indians. It whispers instead ot peace and home. A very gay 
and brilliant time it must have been, for it was Washington's wedding 
day ; and a wedding in old Virginia was worth going far to see. This 
one was celebrated with unusual pomp in the little church of Saint Peter, 
near the bride's home. All the gentry ot the neighborhood were present. 
The Governor, in full dress of scarlet and gold, with officers of the army 
and navy in gorgeous uniforms, gave color to the scene. To complete 
this pretty pifture of old time splendor, we have the bride in silk, and 
satin, laces and brocade, with diamond buckles on her slippers, and pearls 
about her neck and in her hair. By her side stands the gallant figure of 
young Colonel Washington in blue and silver trimmed with scarlet, with 
gold buckles at his knee and on his shoes. After the ceremony the bride 
and her ladies were taken home in a coach and six, attended by the bride- 

lO 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




■" Its a/rious old rooms ivcre brightened by the presence of Lady Washington 
who usually spent the zviiiter months in cimp" 



I I 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 



groom on his spirited horse, and followed by the other gentlemen of the 

party. 

This is a bit of real life, but it sounds- — docs it not? — hke a stray 
leaf from some old fairv tale. And isn't it delighttiii to know that our 
prince and princess did, in very truth, live happily for many years on 
their beautifid Mount \'ernon estate ? It gives the place a new claim on 
oin- attention to remember that it was once the home of so distinguished 




" Tne :l'iicioui niiiiiiiun of to-iii.y 
12 



THE S L O R Y OF WASHINGTON 

-.1 woman as Mrs. Washington — or Lady Washmtrton, as she came to be 
called. And the presence there to-day ot the little articles connected with 
the daily lite of its mistress adds to that home a touch of human interest 
which might otherwise he lacking. Trifling things the\" are indeed ^ — the 
silver heel of her slipper, a shred ot lace she wore, an exquisitely carved 
tan, the quaint pin cushion made from her wedding gown — but they help 
to bridge over the years that lie between her da\' and ours, and make 
more real to us this bride of long ago. 

The home over which she presided with such grace and charm was 
one of lavish hospitality. Guests from far and near sat often at its 
tabic. Washington has been called a silent man, but he enjoyed a houseful 
of people, and made a most agreeable host. He was fond of music and 
dancing, and liked a game of cards ; but his chief amusement was hunting. 
Three times a week, during the season, a merry company, headed by 
Washington on his fa\'orite Hlueskin, was off at da\break. Frequently, 
the ladies leci by Laci\' ^\^^shington in a scarlet habit joined the hunt. 
The footing was rough, and sometimes so i.lantjerous that timici riders 
chose the Ioniser and safer course, but \Vashington kept with the hi^unds. 
These dogs, ^'ulcan and Ringwood, Singer and Truelove, Music and 
Sweetlips, were noted for speei.1 and endurance. 

The master of Mount \'ernon had an especial fondness for both 
horses and dogs. His first duty each morning was to visit the stables 
ami kennels. Every department of the place recei\'ed his careful attention. 
Throughout his whole life it was characteristic of the man to do whatever 
he had to do as well as he possibly could. 

13 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 



He gave himself to the management of the Jarge estate with the 
same thoroughness that had marked the surveys of his boyhood. It was 
no uncommon thing tor him to spend the entire day in the saddle in 
order to superintend in person some important detail. Thus with work 
enough but with leisure also for fine friendships and wholesome recreation, 
Washington lived for a time the free and pleasant life of a Southern 
gentleman of his day. 




H 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 








" 77ir beautiful elm under tcliieh Wtuhi/igtoii took cotiimniiil of tlie artiiy 
!/iiiy yet be seen in the city of Cambridge ' ' 



15 



THE SIORY OF WASHING ION 



C f/i fn ii ndcr-i n~ Chief 

ME A N W H 1 L E, t)ver in England, a new King had taken the 
throne. Under his rule the mother country was trying, in one 
way and another, to torce upon the colonists certain laws which the latter 
believed to be untair. A sense ot coming trouble was everywhere felt. 
Washington was never so occupied with his own aftairs as to torget the larger 
interests ot his country. He now waited anxiously tor news trom the 
North. By and by out in Boston Harbor there was the queerest of all 
queer tea parties, at which no one drank any tea. Atter this tea was 
no longer served at Mount ^"erno^. 

Perhaps King George would have been wiser if he had looked a little 
deeper into the meaning of that Boston Tea Party. It may be he 
did not appreciate the tree spirit ot the men who were its guests, or know 
thev were standiiiij; tor a principle that was just. At anv rate the King 
was angry, and swore the colonists should be compelled to submit. Pie 
sent his ships and armies over to enforce the hated laws. Then began the 
long struggle in which England lost her colonies. 

It was two vears atter this, however, betore the first American army 
was organized, and there was open war. Every schoolbo\' knows about 
the skirmish between the British and American troops on the green at 
Lexington. He recalls with pride how bravely the American soldiers 
fought at Bunker Hill, the first real battle of the Revolution. 

16 



THE STORY OF W A S H 1 N (i l' O N 




" H'KV brtivth th,- Jmerimi! iuldicn fought <it Biiiikir HiW 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 

Just at this time the trumpet-call of duty ranir sharp and clear in 
the ears ot W'ashinirton. When a commander-m-chiet was needed, all eyes 
turned naturally tt) the frreat \'ir^inian. W'ithout a moment's hesitation 
he accepted the trust laid upon him. The beautitid elm under which 
Washington took command ot the arm\' may yet be seen in the city 
ot Cambridge. Tall and stately, like the man who drew his sword 
beneath its branches, this tree stands a little apart from its fellows, as 
if it still remembered the proud distinction of its youth. Of historical 
interest also is the Craigie house \\here the Commander-in-chief made 
his head-i]uarters. This has since become familiar to us as the home 
ot the poet Longtellow. 

The task upon which Washington now entered proved long and 
hard. Betore it was finished he had reason to be grateful for the 
physical strength which the \'igorous outdoor lite of his youth had 
given him. His knowledge ot military affairs gaineci in the French and 
Indian war was also ot great service. But even more he needed all 
the courage and stoutness ot heart which f)rty-three years of noble 
living had wcn^en into his charac^ter. 

^Vhen Washington took command, the army was almost wholly 
lacking in discipline. The men were poorly clothecl, and there was 
no money for new uniforms. Worst of all the suppl\' of gunpowder 
gave out. These were only a few of the many difTiculties which the 
new commander had to face. One by one he met and overcame them. 

In the early spring he was able to send a large bodv of troops to 
fortify Dorchester Heights. This movement drove the British out of 



I HE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




" Cidigir hoiiu- -.L-hrr,- thr Cum mdiidcr-in-ihirf made hh lii-d,li/uiirtrr> " 



Boston, and gave safety to New England. When the American army 
marched m triumph into the city, its citizens gave the name of 
" Washington " to the long narrow street that winds in and out through 
the heart of the busy town. 

We know that during the next summer a deep gloom settled over 
the country. The army was driven from one position to another. 
Then like a flash of light came the victory at Trenton. In this battle 

19 



THE S T O R \' OF WASHINGTON 



the Americans todk nearK' one thousand prisoners, besides guns and 
ammunition. It occurred on the nit^ht ot December twenty-htth, when in 
so manv homes the Christmas hres were Hghted, and happy hearts were 
celebrating the birthday of the Christ. There was merriment also in the 
British camp at Trenton, but nine miles up the river, among the 
soldiers who had crossed the icy current ot the Delaware, was heard 
neither son^j; nor laughter. There a iletermmed leader, with twenty-tour 
hundred resolute men, was marching through the sleet ot a winter storm 
to strike a blow tor tVeedom. It stirs the blood e\-en now to read ot 
a deed so brave. 




■/wo/iir the uililicn :ch'j troM,-ii the /i\ current nf the DeLiwive, ;«•<;.■ heiird 



neither mnv:^ nor Idiighter'''' 
20 



THE S r O R Y OF W A S H J N (i T O N 



The following summer brought defeat to the American troops at 
Brandywine. Later, in an attack on the British camp at Ciermantow n, 
they were forceci to retreat with hea\y loss. 

The country was again in despair, when Washington \vd his ragged 
army into winter quarters at A'alley Forge. I'he Commander-in-chiet 

alone remained firm. Throuuh all those dreadful ilays his courage never 
faltered. To the enemv he showeii the same unbending wdl, but 
toward his hungry barefoot men his heart was always tender. He did 
all that lav in his power to relieve their sufferings. The hardships ot 
that winter were severe, but the discipline was so good, that in the spring, 
a well-trained army was ready tor the field. 

At this point in the story, it is interesting to note the entrance ot 
our ]'"rench allies upon the scene. Let us not forget our debt ot gratitude 
to France for the aid she gave our country in her time ot need. The 
brave Frenchman, Lafavette, is one of the most pic'turesque figures in the 
history of the war. A Io\'er of liberty, this y<iung patriot came to America 
and made her cause his own. Now when success seemed doubttul, he 
returned for a brief period to J'"rance, hoping by personal appeal tu secure 
further help from that country. 

Meanwhile Washington watched and waited. He saw that the nation's 
life depended on the preservation of the army. To hold the troops 
together became his chief purpose. He set himself sternly to the task. 
Nothing could turn him from it. When Congress failed to provide 
food and clothing for the destitute soldiers, their commander's honest 
wrath shamed it to greater effort. Never to satisfy the popular cry for 

21 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 

aftion did he risk the safety of the army. He fought only when, in his 
judgment, the hour to fight had come. 

There were many men whose deeds light with their splendor the 
darkness of that time. Washington was the greatest of them all. Looking 
to him the weary army found patience to endure, until, on the soil of his 
own State, he led it to final victory. Besieged by two armies on land, 
with a French fleet cutting off his escape by water, Curnwallis surrendered 
at Yorktown, in the year seventeen hundred eighty-one. Marching with 
drooping colors between two long lines ui American and French troops, 
seven thousand British soldiers laid down their arms. The United 
Colonies of America hud won their independence. 

The war was really over, though the colonists did not know it then. 
A British General still held New York when the American army went 
into winter quarters at Newlnu-gh on the Hudson. The stone house 
then occupied by Washington is now owned by the State of New York. Its 
curious old rooms were once the scene of many a brilliant company. 
They were brightened by the presence of Lady Washington who usually 
spent the winter months in camp. The time seemed long to the waiting 
troops. The news that the treaty of peace had finally been signed was 
hailed with joy by both officers and men. In a few simple words 
Washington said good-bye to his devoted army. 

Then he turned southward and reached Mount Vernon on Christ- 
mas Eve. Its doors were flung wide open to receive him. There was 
a beautiful Southern custom which gave the slaves Christmas week tor 
merry-making. From the cabins came the hum of happy voices and 

22 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




■^-awKswKiwasassjti !»tK„ 



" W inter quartrrs at Ncwburgh on the Huilsuri" 



the sound of dancing feet. The house which had so long been 
darkened was ablaze with light, for the master was at home. 

He entered with eager interest into all its duties and pleasure. 
Under his careful eye, work which during his absence had been some- 
what negletted, went briskly on. With Lady Washington he often 



THE STORY OF WASHIXGTON 

visited in Alexandria. There he attended divine service. One feels 
grateful to the people of this town for ha\ing left unchanged his 
tamilv pew m Christ Church. Old neighbors gathered once more about 




" There /u attended divine iervice " 



24 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




^~ i- 



" Lii/iiyrttt, ,in honor,-,! guat, cune to r,nt'c th, fnciuifhip of form,!- \t',ir.< " 



his fireside. Latayette, an honored guesr, came to renew the friendship 
of former v'ears. 

The liome-Iike simplicity of earlier days was no longer possible at 
Mount Vernon. Its owner had become famous. Artists begged permission 
to paint his portrait. The French sculptor, Houdon, began the statue 
which stands in the State House at Richmond. Everyone wanted to 
see the great American. All were graciously received, but the house 
was too small to provide suitably for their comfort. Washington hunself 

-5 



THE S T O R ^' OF W A S H I N (i T O X 




The itatue which sta/uh in the State House at Richmond ' ' 



THE STORY OF WASHlNCnON 



phmncd the additions whicli made the " Cottage," as he called it, into 
the spacious mansion of to-day. On the Christmas following its 
completion, there was a gay house-warming to which old and young 
were invited. 

These years of home life passed swiftly by. Each one found 
Washington better fitted for the position he was yet to fill. We 
all know what that position was. The people were glad to choose 
him tor their President. They loved and trusted him. His journev 
to New '\ ork was one long march of triumph. 'I"he men and women 
ot the towns through which he rode hastened to do him honor. Even 
the children brought their tribute of flowers. W^hen he arrived in 
New York the guns in the harbor thundered a salute. 

Standing on the balcony of Federal Mall, in the presence of the 
Senate and House ot Representatives, he took the oath of oflice. 
Gravely, with a deep sense of what the act implied, he stooped to 
kiss the open Bible that lay before him. When he turned to face the 
multitude in the streets below, the people cried, " LONG LIVE GEORGE 
WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT OF THE LfNTTED STATES." 
In the taith they gave him there was no shadow of doubt. They 
believed he would lead them safely through the difficulties which beset 
them on every side. In the days that followed he proved himself 
worthy of this trust. He was as faithtid to his country in time of 
peace as he had been prompt to answer her call to battle. Through 
eight years of public life, he stood at the head of the nation he had 
helped to make. Then he retired to the welcome quiet of his home. 

^7 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 



The visitor in New York enters Washington Square from Fifth 
Avenue under the Centennial Arch, placed there in eighteen hundred 
eighty-nine, to mark the passing of a century since George Washington 
became our first Tresident. 




To mark tilt passing of a century " 
28 



THE STORY OF WASHINGTON 




" A ihdft of purest nuirhle " 

In other parts of the country, statues and monuments have been erected 
to his memory. Surpassing them all in simple grandeur, a shaft of 
purest marble watches over the city that bears his name. 

29 



THE S 1^ O R Y OF W A S II I N G T O N 



T/ic y 01/ r/icy' s E?id 



Returning past the house hy the lower walk lying between river 
and lawn, you come to the Tomb of Washington. One steps softly 
here, and it is very still. The heavy doors are closed. No one is 
allowed to enter. But the summer winds steal in and out, and some- 
times a ray of sunlight lies across the floor. On the wall opposite 
the door you notice the words, " I am the resurrection, and the 
life: he that relieveth in' me, though he were ueao, ^'et shall he 
i.iN'E." When the \\riter of the story \'isiteci this spot, it was early 
spring, — the nesting time of birds. One brax'e mother, wiser than her 
neighbors, had chosen the narrow shelt below the inscription tor her 
summer home. The \'isitor thought, as she turned to come away, that 
when she shoidd recall the beauty ot the scene, it would be pleasant 
to remember also the little bird, sitting within the shelter ot that silent 
place upon her pretty nest. 



1" 11 E STORY O F WASHINGTON 




" One ittp< softly here, and it is very still ' 



31 



Washington 



As hero, soldier, statesman, the world bows at thy feet. 

And yet one leaf is needed to make thy wreath complete. 

Jealous as other men of thy enduring fame. 

With hearts as truly loyal, we choose the simpler name; — 

Thy country's honored Father thou evermore shalt be, 

Teaching that country's children how to be nobly free. 

God help them now to learn, in the spring-time of their youth. 

To stand as firm as thou for Liberty and Truth. 



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